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Mini Stuffed Peppers

Do you like stuffed peppers? Well then you have to try these mini ones. I love buying the big bag of them at Costco. They are so sweet and there are so many things you can do with them. One our favorites is to stuff them. You can stuff them with a seafood stuffing, sausage stuffing, hamburg stuffing, the possibilities are endless. In this recipe, I’m using quinoa and turkey sausage. They are great as an appetizer, side dish, or even a main meal with a giant salad. Here’s my recipe for mini stuffed peppers. Enjoy

What is quinoa?

A lot of people aren’t familiar with quinoa. It’s a whole grain seed that contains essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorous and iron and protein. And it’s perfect if you’re following a gluten free diet. It is considered one of the most complete, nutritious foods. You can use it in place of rice in your recipes.

Directions

Prepare quinoa according to directions. I like to add bouillon, garlic and onion to mine for extra flavor. While that’s cooking, prepare your peppers by washing them, cutting the tops off and cleaning the seeds out. My husband actually likes to keep the top and place them back on the peppers after he stuffs them. He keeps them together with a tooth pick. They look so nice ;).

Preparing the stuffing

Once you’re done cleaning your peppers, it’s time to start on the rest of the stuffing. I chop up onions and garlic and sauté them in a pan. with a little bit of olive oil. Before that’s cooked all the way, I add the turkey and brown that up. Once it’s all cooked, I add the crushed tomatoes and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.

After the turkey has simmered, it’s time to thoroughly mix in the cooked quinoa and cheese. Let it cool so you can touch it, because now it’s time to stuff the peppers. I like using a tiny demitasse spoon. It’s easier to stuff. Make sure you get the stuffing all the way down the bottom.

Cooking them on the grill

You have a few options when it comes time to cooking. You can grill them or put them in the oven. I have a grilling pan that kind of looks like a cookie sheet but it has holes in it. I spray it with a little pam and then put the peppers on. I do indirect heat at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Cooking them in the oven

You can also cook them in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes. You can cook to any consistency you want. Some folks like softer peppers, some like al dente. Play around with it. Place them in a baking dish that you’ve lightly sprayed with a little olive oil. You can add more crushed tomatoes on top. Or you can put more of the stuffing on top, add a little water so it steams up the peppers.

Ingredients

Please note, this makes a TON of stuffing. You will have a lot extra. I like to chop up cabbage, steam it and mix it in with the rest of the stuffing. My version of lazy stuffed cabbage – Italian style. 😉

Peppers:

One bag of mini sweet peppers. We get ours at Costco.

So there you have it! My healthier version of a stuffed pepper. You can have it as a main course with more veggies and a salad. Or, you can have it as an appetizer, your choice. So, now it’s your turn to make them. Go ahead and give it a shot and please post below how they came out.